Looking for information on old cast iron cookware...

Hello, I'm hoping that someone here could help me with some information regarding an old enamelled cast iron skillet. I've narrowed it being made between 1839-1860 due to the gate mark on the bottom. It's stamped T. & C. Clark's 14 In No9 Patent Enamelled and the handle has a 13 stamped on it (I believe it's the original handle). Other than that, I can find no other information on any other skillets from that company. I'd like to have a general idea on it's value and if I should be taking better care of it. The picture isn't the best as some of the blackened enamel appears to be worn away but it's all still there. Thanks to anyone who can help.

 

How about some pics of the bottom, and a few with plain backgrounds would also help. Size?

Before you post more pics click on the full size button.

You're confusing me, and maybe others, (it's not hard to do with me) BUT what is 14 In No9 Patent? I don't think it's the ninth US patent. Close up pic of that, please. Thanks.

And some more knowledgeable folks will be here soon.

 

Thanks for getting back to me. I believe that the 14 In is for the depth measurement and it measures 18" wide. Here's the best I could get with my phone of the bottom stamps.

 

Much better, if you don't mind making us tilt our heads to read the stamps.

But slow me is still wondering what this means. "It's stamped T. & C. Clark's 14 In No9 Patent."

The knowledgeables should be along soon.

 

Pictures aren't terribly helpful because of the glare. What I find interesting is that it's enameled on the inside. Most cast iron is enameled on the outside.

What is that ridge going across the bottom?

It would help if you could put the item on a PLAIN background, like a white towel or sheet, and not use the flash. Get the whole object in the photo, not just parts of it.

 

The glare is from the kitchen light, my phone camera is, um, limited...it's the only way I could highlight the stampings. I believe the ridge is from the 'gate' from when it's poured.

 

From my limited knowledge and a few hours of scouring the net it seems to be a bit of an odd duck. Thanks again.

 

OK, I hope you will take my sense of humour as acceptable, but it does sometimes strike me that photography and presentation lessons are more common than antiquity IDs.

But they are very important.

 

OK, I'll elaborate a bit about my last post.

Please put the pot on a higher level so you don't have to lean over so far. PUT something white under the pan. Then get your phone as close as possible to any engraved portion, even if you have to do it letter by letter, blocking the overhead light so there is NO reflection. Then click away, one by one.

Gotta run. CYL

 

"It's stamped T. & C. Clark's 14 In No9 Patent Enamelled"

 

Sometimes I'm a little photo-impaired, too. I have found it helpful to take an object to a bright outdoor spot (on a plain background... take a towel with you, maybe) and try that. Sometimes direct sun is better, sometimes indirect. Good luck!

 

From this site...

http://www.modemac.com/cgi-bin/wiki.pl/2013-08-25

And did I mention this thing is BIG? Its measurements are: top rim, diameter: 13 inches inside rim, 13-1/2 inches outside rim; height, 8-1/2 inches including underside heat ring; 8 inches deep inside! At a weight of fifteen pounds, this thing is probably just around the size of my Le Creuset 14-inch cast iron pot. With no actual stamp on the pot except for "14 QTS" (14 quarts) and the gate mark, I needed to do som research to identify the maker of this pot. I looked online and found a picture of a pot with the exact markings, including the "14 QTS" stamp: au.picclick.com/Vintage-T-C-Clark-Co-Large-151085784792.html Based on this, that means this pot is likely to be a "T & C Clark & Company large enamelled cast iron cooking pot cauldron." T & C Clark was a British manufacturer founded in 1795, who produced a lot of cast iron in the 1800s into the 20th century, but apparently shut down or went out of business in the 1960s [1]. Another reference [2] states: "1839 ~ Thomas and Charles Clark of Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, patented a way of 'glazing and enamelling cast-iron, holloware, and other metallic substances'. They were iron manufacturers, not gentleman scientists like Rinman and Hickling, and their company went on to produce and market enamelled metal items for cooking, hygiene etc." This likely dates this pot to the latter half of the 19th century.
THERE'S MORE AT THE SITE ABOVE...

 

Thank you. I figured out it dates from 1839-1860 as after that I think they changed the casting method and eliminated gate marks. The thing is is that I cannot find any reference to any type of skillet they made other than vague pictures in scanned catalogues or any kind of way to place a value on it or narrow down it's manufacture date.

 

That's all I found... good luck!

 

Just for info. check this site =========== http://www.castironcollector.com/patents.php

That's what confused me. U.S. patent??
Will now digest new info with the new fact that Clark is a manufacturer in England, not the USA>
t. & c. clark's 14 in no patent enamelled

 

I could find info on the company and their manufacturing techniques which let me place it from 1839-1860 as I think that's when they eliminated gate marks, but can find no data on any skillet or frying pans made by them other in scanned catalogues. I couldn't even find any pics of same era skillets of similar construction. As for decoding the stamps, I would assert that the 14 In is for 14 inches in measurement at it's narrowest point and that No 9 is for the style as it is a very large oval...but's that's just a guess. The 'Patent Enamelled' stamp I believe represents their 'new at the time' enamel formula that didn't have arsenic or lead in it.

 

I'm not sure about this particular maker, but many others used casting methods that left the characteristic gate marks up to 1890 or so.

 

That's true, but I've been talking to a person from the UK who says that Clark was "one of the pioneers of enameled cast iron cookware" and as the gate mark is much cleaner on the pics of the T & C pot above, which dates "the latter half of the 19th century". This makes me think that the skillet is from an earlier period due to it's 'clumsy' looking nature. Thoughts?

 

@Quigi maybe try this Facebook group, some serious cast iron collector folks there and they are friendly
https://www.facebook.com/groups/595830113831910/

 

Thanks! I'll hop over there now.